Early Breakfast withRelebogile Mabotja

More and more prominent South Africans are showing support for Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan following the National Prosecuting Authority fraud charges.

Gordhan is facing fraud charges, along with former South African Revenue Service commissioners Ivan Pillay and Oupa Magashula, for approving Pillay’s early retirement payout.

Former Constitutional Court judge and Freedom Under Law chairperson, Johann Kriegler says the NPA has no case against Pravin Gordhan.

We are lawyers interested in the rule of law appealing to the courts.

— Johann Kriegler, Former Constitutional Court judge and Freedom Under Law chairperson

We have said to the NPA you are ruining the reputation of our Finance Minister on a nonsense case, withdraw it.

— Johann Kriegler, Former Constitutional Court judge and Freedom Under Law chairperson

Kriegler says Freedom under Law wrote to National Prosecuting Authority head Shaun Abrahams and asked him to withdraw the charges against Gordhan and gave him 7 days to respond. But on deadline day at 16:55 Abrahams told Freedom Under Law that he was still making inquiries.

We are shocked. Two weeks ago he went public saying our Finance Minister is a crook and a thief but now he is saying he wants further investigations to be done

— Johann Kriegler, Former Constitutional Court judge and Freedom Under Law chairperson

We are going to court and we have served our papers on them yesterday.

— Johann Kriegler, Former Constitutional Court judge and Freedom Under Law chairperson

We have confidence in our courts...we do not have confidence in the prosecuting authority and we think the charges do not bear examination.

— Johann Kriegler, Former Constitutional Court judge and Freedom Under Law chairperson

Listen to Judge Kriegler explain his position on the charges laid against Pravin Gordhan: